Warrior's Honor
by Swordtheguy
Summary: Jasper was a warrior. It was all she knew in her life; it was her sole purpose. But then that purpose was denied. Again. And again. And now, trapped by her purpose and sense of honor, can Jasper find a new outlook on her life?
1. Chapter 1

Jasper had never been good with time. Gems, as a general rule due to their long-lived nature, aren't really good with the perception of time, but Jasper, in particular, struggled with it. Time for her had two speeds: blisteringly fast and agonizingly slow. When she was doing something like fighting, for either for duty or sport, time seemed to speed up and hours or even days could pass in a blink of an eye. But during any inactivity time seemed to crawl to a halt. And the slowness drove her to distraction. Back on Homeworld, whenever she passed Topazs or Spinals just sitting around and thinking… Jasper shook the thought from her head. Even now, it annoyed her. And it annoyed even more because for a time beyond what Jasper could figure out that's all she had been doing.

Sitting in a damp cave. Thinking.

Jasper remembered everything leading up to the cave. She remembered fusing with the Lazuli. She remembered Malachite and being trapped within her own body at the bottom of this planet's copious oceans. But she also remembered finally breaking free!… Only to have that freedom and power taken away from her by the Crystal Gems. She didn't know what happened after that, only that she awoke at the bottom of some kind of fissure in the earth. Had she a slightly more poetic disposition, she might have described it as like awakening after being freshly harvested from her Kindergarten hole. But she didn't, so all she thought was how much she wanted to get out.

As she began her climb upwards, Jasper saw nothing but pitch blackness surrounding her. However, as she scaled her way upwards she began to see her surroundings more clearly. Not that there was much to look at in the fissure, but eventually the Homeworld warrior reached the top. Once she pulled herself out of the hole, she saw where she was proper. A simple, completely uninteresting cave. There was light filtering in from somewhere, but Jasper wasn't sure from where exactly as she couldn't see the caves entrance from where she stood. However, she didn't press forward to try and find the way out of the cave. Instead, she sat down and began thinking.

And after a seemingly countless amount of time, that is where she still was.

Sitting in a damp cave. Thinking.

Thinking about… what came next….

"Hello?" The sound of a voice echoing through the cave stirred Jasper from her thoughts. "Watermelon Stevens? Are any of you here?" Jasper rose to her feet as she could begin the speaker moving further into the cave. As she did, the voice spoke again, "Come on, guys. If you're in here, just make that 'rawwg rawg' sound you do. Makes it a lot easier to track all of you down."

Jasper eyed intently where the narrow cave turned. As soon as the speaker turned that corner, they would see Jasper. She braced herself, not sure who was going to appear before her and even more unsure who she would want to appear.

"Alright, I guess no one's in here, so I'm going to head-…" In the same instant that the person turned the corner, they also saw the Gem standing just a few feet away. "J-Jasper…" the person squeaked.

The person that now stood before her was eerily familiar. Their eyes, despite the unexpected cave resident, still looked bright and determined. They were also tall, almost as tall as Jasper herself and their hair was long much like her's as well. Though their hair was dark and… bouncy. Somewhat like a Beryl's. The most striking detail to Jasper was the pink quartz gem that they had placed in the center of their stomach.

"Rose Quartz…" Jasper gasped, the weakness of her own voice surprising her. "You've taken another form."

However, the person shook their head vigorously. "No, I'm not Rose Quartz. I'm…" they trailed off. "My name is Stevonnie."

"Stevonnie…" Jasper spat. "Is that what you call your new form? Hmph, it's at least more impressive than that tiny body from the beach."

"No, you don't…" the person stopped as if trying to get a handle on their own thoughts. "The person you met before, his name is Steven. And… My name is Stevonnie." they repeated. "I'm… the fusion between Steven and his… friend."

"Fusion?" Jasper perked up immediately at the sound of that word. "You're a fusion?"

The person nodded slowly in response. "Yes, I am."

"Perfect." Jasper said as an excited grin grew on her face. The quartz warrior summoned her helmet; it's visor coating her view in yellow. "If you are a fusion, then come and fight me!" she declared.

"Fight you?" the fusion seemed confused. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're a Crystal Gem and I'm a loyal soldier of Homeworld!" Jasper answered, wondering what game this fusion was playing. "We are sworn to fight!"

"But I don't… want to fight." the fusion said.

Jasper meanwhile was thoroughly confused by this exchange. "'Don't want to'?" The words felt strange in Jasper's mouth. "Want has nothing to do with it. You are a fusion. Your purpose is fighting!"

"That's not my purpose." The fusion shook their head. "I just want to… be me." For one of the few times in her long life, Jasper was rendered completely speechless. A fusion? Denying their purpose? What madness was this?

"I don't know what you're trying to pull…" Jasper said slowly. "Is this some kind of stalling tactic so you can finish setting up your sneak attack?"

"What? No, of course not." The fusion feigned their surprise well. If Jasper didn't already know better, it might be convincing. "I just came into the cave looking for… well, that's kinda complicated. But I don't want to fight you, Jasper."

"And just what would you do then?" Jasper asked angrily.

The fusion was silent for awhile before responding, "I dunno. Just talk?"

"Talk?" Even just repeating the word, Jasper could hear the insanity it was laced with. "We're not Tourmalines! My duty is not to just stand around and talk!"

"You keep saying 'my duty' and 'my purpose'. Why choose to do this?"

"I choose nothing. I am a Jasper, a quartz soldier of Homeworld. This is why my Diamond created me. And I will honor that creation." She widened her stance, preparing herself. "Enough. Trap or not, I crave a good fight. It's been far too long since I faced an opponent on my own. Ready yourself."

And with barely a pause, Jasper lunged at the fusion; her hand curled into a fist ready to strike. However, as the distance between them shrunk and she threw her opening blow, Jasper felt her fist suddenly stop when it struck a surface that wouldn't relent.

It seems the fusion had more fight in them then they let on. They had completely blocked the warriors attack with a round, spiral pink shield. Jasper knew that shield well and seeing it again reignited a long forgotten flame within her. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, this fusion was still Rose Quartz, in some way. Rose had known her purpose. Even if they denied it, this fusion knew theirs as well.

She pushed away from the fusion, creating some distance between them. They now looked like they were ready to go. The way they held themselves was known to Jasper as well. A 'Zeta' stance. Best used in close quarters. It seems the fusion had been trained in the classics. This was going to be fun.

Jasper immediately flew back at the fusion, this time preparing a new strategy. Like before, she let go a mighty punch. And, as before, the fusion stopped it with their shield, but this time, Jasper swept forward with her leg, hoping to kick their legs out from underneath them. Unfortunately, her gambit failed to pay off. The fusion was able to jump over the sweep while still holding against Jasper's punch. And then, while her balance was thrown, the fusion pulled back their shield, causing Jasper to stumble forward and land on her knees. She quickly threw herself backwards and onto her feet and looked to where she had been kneeling, expecting to see the fusion's failed counterattack, only they weren't there. Jasper slowly looked upwards and saw that the fusion was still standing where they had retreated to after pulling away their shield. They hadn't taken their chance to counterattack.

"Are you mocking me now?" Jasper asked bitterly.

"No, I'm not." the fusion responded simply. "I told you, I don't want to fight… We don't have to fight."

"You're wrong! Our separate purposes drive us to fight. It's who we are!" Jasper snarled, her rage starting to get the better of her.

"It's not who I choose to be. And it's not who you have to be."

The fusions trickery finally sent the warrior into a fury. She lunged once more, but this time, her whole body was stopped by the small shield. Jasper tried to push against it, but the fusion was surprisingly strong. As she continued to try and push them away, Jasper felt the shield give away, for just a second. But before she could exploit this opening, Jasper felt the shield slam against her, sending her falling back. She hit the ground hard and slid backward for several seconds before she felt the ground give away beneath her.

No, that wasn't it. She had fallen back into the fissure where she had awakened.

Without even missing a beat, Jasper quickly got up and began to once again scale the wall back to the top of the fissure. However, once she had reached it, the fusion was gone. She looked around angrily, cursing the fusion for leaving in the middle of their fight and trying to deny Jasper her duty and her honor.

But with the fusion gone, the anger began to drain from her. Not the desire for battle, or course, but the flame that had ignited within her began to dim. She thought about leaving the cave; about trying to find the fusion. But instead, Jasper found herself where she had before this had begun.

Sitting in a damp cave. Thinking.

Thinking about… what came next….

And what the fusion had meant by choosing…

* * *

 **A/N: Well, here's something I never thought I'd be doing.**  
 **Alright, cards on the table. I'm generally anti-Jasperdemption. With out getting into it to much, I think it would make a better and more profound note for Jasper to refuse Steven's offers to change and instead side still with Homeworld. Sad yes, but for me, an interesting counter balance to the shows themes of love and change. That said, I'm 99% sure that the Crewniverse are going to do a Jasperdemption and I'm 100% sure they'll hit it out of the park.**  
 **But all that aside, while writing my last fic, I started to think about what different interactions Stevonnie would have with various characters. And when I started to think about them and Jasper... well this fic is the result of that line of thought.**  
 **So yeah, here's a Jasperdemption from someone who considers themselves anti-Jasperdemption.**  
 **P.S. And no, just because I'm anti-Jasperdemption doesn't mean I hate Jasper. Really. Just read the fic.**  
 **Also, I know it seems like it ends here, but it doesn't. Expect two more chapters in the near future!**  
 **Thank you and here's hoping for the next.**


	2. Chapter 2

The dripping sound was annoying. No, it had gone beyond that long ago. It had gone so beyond annoying that Jasper was considering breaking off all the stalactite that hung from the ceiling so as to maybe stop the sound of water from slowly and softly dripping on the ground.

But she didn't. Just as when she thought she needed to stand up and leave this cave, she didn't.

She had to contact Yellow Diamond, right? She needed to know that this mission had gone wrong and that she needed an evac. Her Diamond needed to know that Jasper had been denied her purpose, right? That the duty and honor she carried for her Diamond had been besmirched by the Crystal Gems. She needed to know. That was Jasper's purpose. Serving her Diamond. Fighting her enemies. Strengthing her Homeworld. This was who she was.

Right?

Then why was she just sitting on the ground? Why did she refuse to act? Was she… afraid of her Diamond?

Jasper snorted as she dismissed the idea from her mind. Every Homeworld citizen not worth having their gem crushed feared the Diamonds wrath. And Jasper was no different. She knew she was sure to face some sort of punishment for her failures. So is that what had frozen her into inaction? Perhaps, but even then, Jasper knew that the punishment wouldn't be fatal. Yellow Diamond was not in the habit of throwing away useful tools. And that's what Jasper served as. A tool for her Diamond to help spread her will. And she was still a tool that had a use for her.

Right?

A new sound echoed through the cave, breaking Jasper out of her musings. It was the sound of footsteps. And whoever they were, they felt no need to try and disguise the fact that they were there. As the footsteps drew closer, Jasper rose from her seat; her eyes narrowed as the footsteps grew louder.

"Jasper?" a soft, familiar voice drifted from around the corner as the fusions showed themselves.

"You? You're back." Jasper glowered. "I thought you would return with your fellow Crystal Gems."

"Why would I do that?" the fusion asked.

"Because it is your purpose as a Crystal Gem. To defy Homeworld."

"There's that word again." the fusion said as they moved a bit closer. "'Purpose'." They looked directly at Jasper. Their bright and intense gaze made her just slightly uncomfortable. "Why did you choose this purpose, Jasper?"

"I told you before. I chose nothing. You don't choose what you were made for. You just are." Jasper responded.

"But that's not true, is it?" they replied smoothly. "You know Pearl, right?"

The renegade. Yes, Jasper knew her well. She nodded curtly.

"Pearl wasn't made for fighting or leading armies in war. She chose her 'purpose' just like I can. Just like we all can." they said.

"That pearl is just a defective failure. She didn't choose her purpose. She forgot it. And her master didn't have the sense to put her back in her place." Jasper shook her head. "I know what you're doing, fusion. When I interrogated Lazuli, she told me all about the mind washing you did to her." The fusion looked confused as Jasper continued. "She was going on and on about how we should just leave Earth alone and how there were good and worthwhile things on it to protect." She leveled a heavy finger at the fusion. "You and those like you made her forget her purpose."

"Jasper, please. I just want to help you." the fusion said, their voice wavering just a bit. "I… No one has to get hurt. Not if you'll just listen to me."

"Enough!" Jasper cried as her helmet appeared on her head. "If you truly want to help me, then summon your shield and fight me. Fulfill both of our purposes."

"I'm not going to fight you, Jasper." the fusion said defiantly.

"I won't give you a choice."

Jasper leaped at the fusion, ready to tear them apart. However, as was becoming all too familiar to the warrior, she was stopped mid-attack by an unrelenting barrier. It was a large bubble that engulfed the fusion. The bubble was so large (or maybe the cave was just so small) that it pressed too tightly against the walls and ceiling that, no matter how many times Jasper attacked, the bubble did not roll backward at all.

"Another… trick…" Jasper breathed in between punches. "This is one of Rose's techniques. I remember it."

"Then you know that it won't break easily." the fusion said calmly. "And Pearl says I've gotten pretty good at projecting them."

Jasper punched the bubble again. And again. And again. And again. Each punch landed harder and harder, the sound of her fists impacting against it echoed through the cave. Growing angrier and frustrated, Jasper held back, preparing her final charge. She dashed and reared her head back, ready to strike. And as she approached, she headbutted the bubble with all of her might. The force of the impact was so strong, that the glass of her helmet visor shattered. No, not just the visor, Jasper realized a moment later. The force had been so strong, her helmet had lost its projection.

But as Jasper staggered back to her feet, she saw that the bubble was still there.

"Why… why are you doing this to me…" Jasper felt like her words were being choked out.

"I told you. I don't want to fight you."

"No…" Jasper said, trying to keep her growing rage in check. "If you want to be like the defective renegade, or the permafusion, or that overcooked runt… If you want to be like them and deny your purpose, that is your failing. But why… Why are you denying me mine?"

"I'm not-"

"You are!" Jasper roared, her accusation filling the entire cavern. "You are trying to make me forget the purpose I was created for and the honor and duty I carry for my Diamond!" Jasper grew silent as her eyes blazed with passion. "I have failed at my purpose far too many times. This won't happen again."

"But that isn't your purpose, Jasper." the fusion said.

"What madness are you spewing?" Jasper asked, a disgusted look on her face. "I know my own purpose."

But the fusion shook their head. "No, that's what you've been told your purpose is. But only you can decide what your purpose truly is."

Jasper was silent. Decide your own purpose? The mere thought of it was crazy. A sword does not decide it wants to be a shield. It is a sword. That is why it was created.

And yet…

"No…" Jasper said, violently shaking her head. "I am a Jasper, sworn sword to my Diamond." Jasper stood up straight as she summoned back her helmet. "I have failed my Diamond and she doesn't suffer failure easily. My only redemption is to regain my honor by crushing you."

"Redemption comes in a lot of ways." the fusion responded simply. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Want is irrelevant. My Diamond's will is all that matters."

The fusion smiled… sadly? It was difficult for Jasper to tell. "I don't believe that. And… I don't think you do either. At least not as strongly as you did before." The fusion brushed some of their hair out of their face. "My name is Stevonnie. I am a fusion. And I refuse to fight you. That is my purpose."

Jasper's head was spinning. Choosing your purpose… It was the blathering of a cracked Gem. And yet, here they were. Standing before Jasper, so sure of themselves and confident in the… the purpose they had picked. All of the Crystal Gems had picked their purpose. Were they as sure of themselves as this… Stevonnie was?

"Here, Jasper." The bubble shield that had surrounded the fusion disappeared as they stepped towards the warrior. "Just come with me. You don't have to come back to the temple or anything, just leave the cave with me." They held out their hand to her. "Come on. Let's go."

And for a moment, Jasper, the sworn soldier of Homeworld and Yellow Diamond was going to accept that hand.

But only for a moment.

In the next, Jasper jumped backward; her face twisting into a mask of hate. The fusion looked surprised by this. Surprised and… disappointed? But there was something else hiding in their eyes. Was it… hope?

Jasper ran back towards the fusion, her head already reared back and ready to strike. But, as was becoming as predictable as the morning sunrise, Jasper's fury blinded her and caused to overlook an important detail. Namely, the fusion's shield. As before, the Gems helmet collided with the fusion's guard and again, the impact was enough to cause Jasper's helmet too loose its projection and send her flying backward.

Backward into the fissure.

And in the fissure Jasper laid. She thought she heard a voice calling her, but it was small and distant. It wasn't enough to stir Jasper from where she laid. In the fissure, with darkness covering her.


	3. Chapter 3

Gems eyes don't adjust to the darkness. Or more aptly, Gem's eyes adjust instantly to a new environment, as every part of their form does. Every Gem was expected to be at their peak at all times, thus, unlike other forms of life, Gems didn't need to warm up before a sparring match or stretch before sprinting twenty miles. Or indeed, let their eyes adjust to the darkness.

With this thought in her mind, Jasper thought idly about how truly pitch black it was at the bottom of the fissure. She saw nothing around her, the only distinct thing about was the dimmest of lights glowing weakly above her. Jasper gazed at the light. It seemed to wane and peak at times. No doubt this planet's sun cycles were affecting it. But every time the light grew to it's brightest, Jasper could hear the soft sound of someone calling her name. Jasper said nothing in return.

Five cycles of this did the slowly breaking warrior endure before they felt the need to begin their climb once again out of the fissure. This was the slowest she had scaled her way out. Jasper wasn't even sure why she was doing this. Her purpose had been taken from her. She had failed her Diamond, her Homeworld. Her honor had been broken; her duty had been forgotten.

She was broken.

And a broken Gem had no place on Homeworld.

No place… anywhere.

Jasper pulled themselves out of the hole, only to see a sickeningly familiar figure waiting for them.

"Hello, Jasper." Stevonnie greeted. "I wondered when you were going to climb your way out."

Jasper walked a few feet away from the hole and sat down on the cold cave floor. She kept her head bowed low so she wouldn't have to look at them. "Have you waited here the entire time?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Stevonnie shrugged their shoulders. "Not quite. I had to head home at night, but I was back bright and early every morning."

"Why?" Jasper growled lowly.

"I told you." Stevonnie said as they sat down across from Jasper. "I want to help you. Help you… find your new purpose."

"I have no purpose." Jasper responded. "You've taken it from me."

"I haven't taken anything from you. I'm just trying to help you."

"Help me?" Jasper finally looked up at the fusion sitting across from her. Her eyes were burning with an intense glow. "You've done nothing but break me. I am a tool with no purpose and Homeworld has no use for such things."

"Hmph." Stevonnie snorted. "I'm sure. Homeworld never really sounded like a great place."

Jasper's expression darkened as she spoke. "Bite your tongue, fusion. Homeworld is the lone bright spot in a cosmos full of darkness."

"So you really liked it there, huh?"

"Of course. It was my purpose to protect it and all Gems from those who would do them harm." Jasper looked away. "I have failed my people just as much as my Diamond."

"I don't believe that." Stevonnie said.

Jasper grunted. "That's a shock."

The fusion grinned. "Yeah, I guess you've gotten used to me being contrary with you." They paused before continuing, "But it's true. You haven't failed your fellow Gems, you've taken the first few steps to helping them."

Jasper was silent.

"I mean… Just think about Pearl. She didn't want the life Homeworld gave her. So she chose a new one; a new purpose."

Jasper was silent.

"Just think how many other Gems there are on Homeworld like Pearl. Gems who aren't happy with the purpose they've been given and that wish they could pick their own."

Jasper was silent.

"You said you protect all Gems. Did the purpose Homeworld give allow you to help those Gems? The ones who didn't want their purpose?"

Jasper was silent. But then,

"Enough." she said softly. "Just finish me."

Stevonnie looked confused. "Finish you? I don't understand."

"I cannot embrace your way of thinking. It is not who I am. Even now I feel the threads of my lost purpose pulling at me." She stood up, Stevonnie following her. "So you must finish me. Shatter my gem and be done with it."

"Shatter your gem?!" Stevonnie declared, their shock being easily printed on their face. "Why would I do that?!"

"Because I am already broken."

"No, you're not. Your gem looks fine." Stevonnie responded.

"I'm broken because…" She glared intently at Stevonnie. She could feel the corner of her eyes begin to tear up. "Because I have allowed myself to believe what you've said, if even for a moment. I have let it squirm it's way into my mind and… I've lost my purpose." She stepped closer towards the fusion as the first of the tears began to fall. "You claim you want to help me, so help me by shattering my gem and ending this…"

"I-I'm not going to shatter your gem, Jasper." Stevonnie stuttered, clearly shaken by her request. "And you don't want me to. You're just…" They hesitated before stepping close to Jasper. Their look was intense but… it felt calming, in a way. "You're afraid. Afraid of what comes next. The purpose Homeworld gave you was comforting in the way it surrounded you and offered no wiggle room. But now you don't have that."

Jasper said nothing. Her head was bowed and her eyes closed.

"But this isn't the end." Stevonnie continued. "You don't have to come with me to the temple or to the barn. But just come out of the cave. Take the first step to finding your new purpose."

Jasper made no sound or movement. She just stood there, completely still.

"I'm going to leave now." Stevonnie said stepping away from the Gem. "There's a village of small watermelon people near here. You remember them right? If you exit the cave and follow the path west, you'll find it. But anyway, I want you to come there. I'll wait for you until the sun sets." They began to walk away. "Seriously, Jasper. I expect you to be there." And without another word, they left. Jasper heard their footsteps echo through the cave until they were gone.

But Jasper still just stood there, trying to process what they had been told.

They had offered her a purpose. No, not offered. They offered their help in finding a new purpose. But there was no new purpose for Jasper. She had only lost her own.

…

…

…

…

And yet…

One thing still rolled around in Jaspers mind. Gems on Homeworld who didn't agree with their purpose. She knew what awaited such a Gem. Having their gem shattered, or melted down, or imprisoned in order to have their gem power some kind of device. That was what awaited all who disagreed with the mandate that the Diamonds had set. And it was that mandate that had protected Homeworld and it's citizens. That is what Jasper's and every other Gem's purpose had told her.

But… was it right?

Jasper had known many Gems in her life. Some she liked, others she felt indifferent towards, and still others she had hated. But regardless of how she felt about them personally, she knew that her purpose was to safeguard each and every one of them. That was her role as a quartz warrior.

Protection. No matter what.

But so many times, Jasper had been tasked with escorting Gems of all types, from fellow quartzs all the way down to lowly pearls, to their final destination. Having their Gem shattered, or melted down, or imprisoned in order to power some device. And after each time, Jasper had told herself that the doomed Gem had forgotten their purpose and thus, what was going to happen was necessary in order to protect Homeworld.

But they didn't have to die.

That was the rising tide Jasper now felt within her. All those Gems that had been executed in the name of stability didn't have to die. They just needed help.

Help to find…

To find their own purpose.

And Jasper had failed to protect them.

What she had been created for. The purpose she had been given. She had failed it, without even realizing it.

She had lost her purpose long ago.

There were still sure to be many Gems on Homeworld who disagreed with the role they had been given. And there would no doubt be more as more Kindergartens rose across the galaxy. Were they all to be destroyed? Because no one would help them?

No. They won't.

Jasper hadn't lost her role. She had rediscovered it. She would do what she could to help those Gems still on Homeworld. Help them find…

Purpose.

…

…

…

The setting sun still felt warm on Jasper's face. She looked down at the ground to ensure she was still following the dirt path. Stevonnie had said head westward towards the village. She turned as the path did and saw a sight that was odd, to say the least. Many small, green stripped beings all going about their business in the village. Some were farming, others were constructing tools and new housing. Some, the young ones perhaps, just ran around, chasing each other and having fun. These creatures were familiar to Jasper, but everything that had happened to Malachite was a haze to the Gem herself.

Jasper walked closer towards the settlement, but none of the green stripped people stopped or even paused in their work or play. Jasper was treated as completely normal. Not that she gave this much thought. Her eyes were scanning all over the village, looking for them. And finally, she saw them. Sitting at the other end of the village, on a tree stump, was Stevonnie.

For awhile they didn't notice her and Jasper wondered whether she should just walk up to them or should she call out to them. But the decision was made for her when Stevonnie did notice her. They grinned brightly as they stood, waving their hand at the Gem. And Jasper found herself smiling back as she began to walk over towards the beckoning fusion.

No. Not just towards Stevonnie.

Towards a new purpose.

Towards a new life.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's done. Have to admit, after writing this, I'm no quite as anti-jasperdemption as I was before. And that truly is the magic of fanfiction. Using the space you've been provided to put a new lens on a character and seeing what else is there. So congrats, Jasper. I'm now really interested to see the probable redemption arc you're going to get.**

 **Well, that's the magic, plus all the smut, obviously.  
**


End file.
